Learn a little Chinese every day
Grammar Point:In Mandarin Chinese, time is expressed by stating the hour first, followed by the minute, in a “big to small” order, just like in English. Time Hour + 點/点 diǎn + Minute + 分 fēn When expressing the time, you can use the structure mentioned above to indicate a specific time. However, if you…
Grammar Point:In Mandarin Chinese, week of days can be expressed in three different ways, which is 星期 xīngqíqī, 禮拜礼拜 lǐbài, and 週周 zhōu. All three systems follow a simple pattern and are easy to remember! (In comparison to English😎) 星期 xīngqí/xīngqī 星期 xīngqíqī literally means “star period” and originally referred to the seven-day planetary cycle…
Grammar Point:The word “also” in Chinese can be translated as 還还 hái or 也 yě. Both are commonly used to indicate inclusion or addition in a sentence. It is important to note that they are always placed before the verb or adjective in Chinese sentences. Structure S + 也 yě + V 也 yě generally…
Grammar Point:In Chinese, numbers beyond 10,000 follow a different naming pattern compared to English. Understanding how to express bigger numbers in Chinese is essential for effective communication. Let’s explore the structure and naming conventions of Chinese bigger numbers. Thousands: To express numbers in the thousands (e.g., 1000, 2000, 3000), the basic numerals are combined with…
Grammar Point:In Chinese grammar, the word 别 bié is often used to express the concept of “don’t” or “stop.” It is commonly used to give commands, suggestions, or advice to someone. Structure 别 bié + V or SV 別bié跑pǎo别bié跑pǎoDon’t run. 別bié吃chī太tài多duō别bié吃chī太tài多duōDon’t eat too much. 別bié緊張jǐnzhāng别bié紧张jǐnzhāngDon’t be nervous. 上shàng中文zhōngwén課kè別bié說shuō英文yīngwén上shàng中文zhōngwén课kè别bié说shuō英文yīngwénDon’t speak English in Chinese class….
Grammar Point:In Mandarin Chinese, dates are expressed in the order of year, month, and day, from big to small. This is the opposite order to how dates are expressed in English. Year In Mandarin Chinese, years are typically read as a series of individual digits. However, when referring to a year period, we would read…
Grammar Point:In Chinese, numbers are typically structured in a straightforward and consistent manner. Here are the basic elements and rules for constructing Chinese numbers: Basic numerals: Chinese has a set of basic numerals that are used to represent the digits from 0 to 9. They are: 0️⃣ 1️⃣ 2️⃣ 3️⃣ 4️⃣ 零líng零líng 🔊 一yī一yī 🔊…
Grammar Point:Mandarin Chinese has a relatively small number of pronouns, and unlike many European languages, there is no need to worry about subject-verb agreement. It 牠tā它tāit (for animal) 牠的tāde它的tādeits (for animal) 牠tā它tāit (for animal) 祂tā祂tāit (for God) 祂的tāde祂的tādeits (for God) 祂tā祂tāit (for God) 它們tāmen它们tāmenthey 它們的tāmende它们的tāmendetheir 它們tāmen它们tāmenthem 我wǒ家jiā有yǒu貓māo有yǒu狗gǒu， 牠們tuómen都dōu是shì我的wǒde好hǎo朋友péngyǒu我wǒ家jiā有yǒu猫māo有yǒu狗gǒu， 它们tāmen都dōu是shì我的wǒde好hǎo朋友péngyouI have both cats and dogs at…
Grammar Point:Mandarin Chinese has a relatively small number of pronouns, and unlike many European languages, there is no need to worry about subject-verb agreement. I and You 我wǒ我wǒI 我的wǒde我的wǒdemy 我wǒ我wǒme 你nǐ你nǐyou 你的nǐde你的nǐdeyour 你nǐ你nǐyou 我wǒ愛ài你nǐ我wǒ爱ài你nǐI love you. 我的wǒde狗gǒu我的wǒde狗gǒuMy dog. 我wǒ喜歡xǐhuān你的nǐde錢qián我wǒ喜欢xǐhuan你的nǐde钱qiánI like your money. Note: You may have noticed that there are two ways to say “you”…
Grammar Point:There are six different ways to ask yes-no questions in Chinese, and the choice of which one to use can depend on factors such as location, occasion, and the people being spoken to. Structure S + V + O + 嗎/吗 ma This is the most simple and common yes-no question asking whether the…